Fellow Daoist! That scoundrel has written a new book again.

Zhu Wu invited the others back to the courtyard and closed the door.

One of the greatest advantages of being a cultivator is that it's not so cold in winter.

Hua Yingting wore a flowing skirt, while Xu San'er wore a simple spring/autumn dress, with only the belt around her waist looking valuable. Zhu Wuyao was wrapped in a winter coat, which gave her a warm and reassuring appearance.

The three of them wore a variety of clothes, covering all four seasons.

Hua Yingting asked her why she was wearing a coat again, and Zhu Wuyao pointed to the branches with leaves fluttering down and said:

"Coldness is not just a physical sensation; when you see bare tree branches or hear the howling wind, you feel cold."

And when I unleash my Cold Transformation Slash, the person will also feel cold.

"What can relieve my worries? Only a cotton-padded coat."

This statement was full of idealistic sophistry, but Xu San'er nodded in agreement and said:

"Just like when you're sleeping, you need to cover your whole body to be in the right state of mind."

Listening to the two of them talking back and forth, Hua Yingting also pulled her wrist back and said:

"It does seem a bit cold...?"

Zhu Wuyao shook his head and said, "You feel cold because you're injured. You can win that game tomorrow, but I can make it easier for you. Do you want to?"

Taking advantage of a moment of joking around, Zhu Wuyao asked this question.

"Do you have any magical artifacts that I can borrow?"

"No, but I can make Junior Sister Tang Xin lose faster, so that you don't need to use too much spiritual power, and your injuries will be fully healed so that you can prepare for the final match."

"Absolutely not, Ah Yao! Don't be impulsive! We can't hurt someone at night!"

Zhu Wuyao shook his head, denying the guess, and continued to ask:

"You won't hurt anyone, and no one will notice. Do you want to win more easily?"

Xu San'er nodded up and down beside him, wishing that Zhu Wuyao had asked him instead. Tomorrow he would be fighting against a senior sister at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Although he could win, he was worried about the magic weapon!

Hua Yingting is a very smart person.

She looked at Zhu Wuyao for a while with her shimmering eyes, then suddenly smiled:

"Ah Yao, it's because you don't want to."

Sometimes people are unaware of their true inner thoughts until someone reveals and enlightens them.

Hua Yingting gently pulled her in front of him and said in a serious tone:

"When that junior sister Tang Xin used all her strength to injure Xiao Qingyu with the silver shuttle, you also praised her, and you liked her very much."

"The fact that you've come to ask me this means that this matter is troubling you, and that you don't want to hurt innocent people for no reason."

"Does saying 'I want to' mean you have to do something you don't like?"

If you really don't care about doing this kind of thing, why bother asking? You would just do it directly, without even telling me, and you would congratulate me without any guilt when I beat Tang Xin.

But you can't do it.

Zhu Wuyao lowered his head and thought for a moment, then said:

"If you were injured tomorrow, and I had a way to keep you safe..."

Hua Yingting interrupted Zhu Wuyao and said:

"Have you forgotten? We're friends. Why would I think about things you don't like?"

Then, with a half-smile, he rested his chin on his hand, looked at Zhu Wuyao, and continued to ask:

"You've been acting really strange ever since I got injured this afternoon. Have you wronged me, or someone else?"

Zhu Wuyao was speechless, then turned away sullenly and said nothing more.

Having a friend who is too smart is not a good thing.

Hua Yingting gently patted her shoulder and said:

"Ah Yao, you should have faith in me. If I need help, why wouldn't I ask? I'm not a three-year-old anymore. Do you expect me to be responsible for every little thing I do?"

Xu San'er looked left and right, wondering if no one cared about him.

He rubbed his hands together, smiled broadly, and leaned closer to Zhu Wuyao, saying:

"Sister Zhu, she doesn't need it, but I do! Why don't you take a look at me?"

"Get out of here, I haven't even asked for anything yet, what do you want?"

……

The competition began on the second day.

Zhu Wuyao's opponent was a senior sister from the outer sect at the sixth level of Qi Refining. Ever since this senior sister learned who her opponent was, she had been thinking for a long time about how to lose gracefully.

As the cold sword slashed down, the spiritual light of Senior Sister's nine-section whip dimmed considerably.

It was estimated that if she were to chop it twice more, her nine-section whip would be ruined. The senior sister felt sorry for her and quickly admitted defeat.

The sword missed by three points again!

The onlookers were in an uproar, especially Zhu Wuyao, who had just caused trouble yesterday and everyone knew her.

"I have a slight suspicion... um... maybe she's not good at cutting... It's just a guess, nothing more..."

"Hey! That's what I think too. She probably aimed every time, but because she was using a blunt sword, she couldn't control the distance well, so her sword always missed by a third, right?"

This guess is extremely reasonable!

"That makes sense. When she was advancing in rank by slaying the mule, she wasn't being merciful or deliberately missing her mark; she simply couldn't hit her target at all! No wonder she was looking down on people with her chin up the other day—she wasn't merciful at all..."

Off the court, Shi Tao, who had faced Zhu Wuyao yesterday, also had some mixed feelings.

He still believed more that Junior Sister Zhu had deliberately missed the mark, but after hearing this "missed strike" explanation so many times, Shi Tao began to waver...

Is it possible that Zhu Wuyao simply can't make the right cut...?

Otherwise, how could it always be off by three points?

After Zhu Wuyao left the arena, he also heard these rumors, especially about his own title, which had changed from "Slaying Mule to Advance" to the rather sarcastic "Sword Offside by Three Points"...

what happened?

When I drew my sword this time, I even deliberately shouted "Falling Leaf Sword," didn't anyone notice?!

She pulled Xu San'er, who was about to go on stage, aside and asked, "Is there any way to change my name to 'Fallen Leaves Inviting Autumn'?"

Xu San'er was stretching his muscles when he heard the question and almost couldn't help but laugh. He said:

"My dear sister, you've really put me in a difficult position. The reputation of 'Swordsmanship with Three Points' has spread throughout the Star-Picking Tower. How many lotus flowers must I utter to give you a title like 'Fallen Leaves Inviting Autumn'?"

Hua Ying, who had been listening to the commotion, chimed in with a teasing remark: "Who says otherwise? You'd better just admit it, A-Yao, whose swordplay is off-target!"

The winner will be decided on the dueling platform.

Xu San'er prepared himself both internally and externally, and walked discreetly onto the dueling platform. The senior sister at the sixth level of Qi Refining was named Ying Mang, and she was skilled in bows and crossbows.

Its name is "Soul-Chasing Arrow".

"Isn't this Xu San'er, the one with the gold ingot? Is he planning to throw away a few treasures today?"

With a quiver strapped to her back, Ying Mang looked as dashing as a hunter leaping through the forest. And that was certainly true; she had made her living in the mountains, not only learning her father's superb archery skills but also inheriting her mother's bloodline and possessing eyes as sharp as an eagle's.

Others might worry about Xu San'er having too many magical artifacts, talismans, and formations, but she wasn't worried at all, because—

Hunters are ranged attackers.